A sense of disappointment with modern Christmas music presents an opportunity for Jschlatt, whose surprise Christmas album drifts back into the swinging classics. A Very 1999 Christmas details the modern cultural malaise, the hammy festive tunes piped through stores. At least the 1980s had some vague notions of progressive rock. But the classics go further than that. The crooner consistencies are what many seek at this time of year and with so few making jazz standards, passionate fans and people of influence are relighting the torch. Remove the initial shock of a successful YouTuber’s music project and dig into these eight songs, each recorded with the desire of a classy holiday spirit. Crucial to this project is it does not feel like a fad or something done for self-betterment. Jschlatt maintains a genuine tone throughout this project, and it fares well.
This is not a replication of those classic sounds but an addition. A Very 1999 Christmas does not wear the skin of the classy originals but subtly remoulds them. Slight rewrites to the sheet music change the fundamentals of pieces like White Christmas but maintain the familiarity necessary to make these covers swing. Was the “hell on earth” experience, as Jschlatt called it in his announcement video, worth it? It must be. A Very 1999 Christmas is a formidable showcase of what a YouTuber can do if their heart is in the right place. Beyond that, it rivals the routine Christmas releases. We should and can demand more from artists peddling songs of a festive variety. If a man can sip on herbal tea and push through a week of throat agony to present the charms of Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow! then we should ask more of the professionals.
Dedication to the artistry of the genre is evidenced throughout A Very 1999 Christmas, from the same microphone brand Frank Sinatra used to the slight overhaul of vocal tone and tempo, it remains a staggering project and a real achievement. A tenor voice from Jschlatt on Baby, It’s Cold Outside and a staggering tone on White Christmas hits those warm crooner joys. Hearing those opening notes of The Christmas Song is unfortunately still tied to the Smule cover for those terminally online but Jschlatt adds those little flourishes needed to overhaul classic songs. Little changes to the instrumentals, but not enough to fundamentally change the heart or message of these songs, is the fine line walked here.
With big band thrills and a genuine voice at the heart of it, A Very 1999 Christmas is a sincere attempt at overhauling the festive genre. It works. All you need is passion. Jschlatt has managed to piece together eight exceptional songs which understand the warmth of the season, and the familial necessity of those comfortable times around the fire. Exceptionally atmospheric material can be found here, from the joys of Santa Claus is Coming to Town to the instrumental blast of closer It’s the Most Wonderful Time of Year, you would be hard-pressed to find a better festive release from the last few years. Sincere pleasure from the studio to your home, and that lack of anything else to plug leaves room for the Christmas spirit lost in recent releases.
